Nostalgia is at an all time high. Its Lohri today and here I am, stuck at work with no plans whatsoever to celebrate the festival. And being in Singapore doesn’t help my cause you see.

Childhood memories come flooding back as I am trying to get some work done. The mind is refusing to concentrate. I feel myself transported to the cold winter evenings of Ranchi. Lohri each year was celebrated with as much gusto and enthusiasm. The entire family would come together to dance and sing around the bonfire. There was yummy traditional food. And sweets. Revari and Popcorns which were then generously thrown in the fire. A feeling of happiness and festivity all around. Lots of laughter and some gossips. Traditional songs, dance and the some money imparted by elders to the ones younger to them. So not only did we have fun but we also came out richer.

Lohri for me was an occasion, like many others, when my entire family would be together. This was in fact the best part of my growing up years. The fondness my entire family had for celebrations and festivals. Right from childhood we saw all festivals being celebrated together and with a lot of heart and soul being put in it. Not just festivals but each and every occasion, like birthdays, anniversaries, New Year and even children’s day meant that the whole gang would be together, eating and having fun! And it helped that we were a lot of us in the same town. We were what can easily symbolize “the nice big fat Indian family.”

And now living so far away from home, I can’t even begin to express how much I miss it. Thankfully I have the memories.

>Such a beautiful post, filled with nostalgia, Iya. I could feel myself reminiscing about my Delhi days too when the whole neighbourhood used to gather around the bonfire and dance and make merry. Ah how I remember munching on to the moongfalis and popcorns and then throwing somein the fire.Lovely post 🙂

M missing India! India is the only place on Earth where we can enjoy such type of life.We can enjoy in open with family and friends, we can play music n dance wherever we like. Can go to Jaggo before wedding, play in streets n enjoy parent’s Chittar. Every year i miss holi, diwali, lohri….and many more.